Kent Bush: Media needs to add perspective to reporting

No one ever thinks of the rope's feelings when they play tug-of-war. In thinking about the rope, I think I may have come to a deeper understanding of voter apathy in America.

Kent Bush

No one ever thinks of the rope's feelings when they play tug-of-war.

In thinking about the rope, I think I may have come to a deeper understanding of voter apathy in America.

People don't vote. They should vote. But they don't.

Skimming the surface of the problem leads to the obvious conclusion that people don't care enough to vote.

That is partially true. But why don't they care?

I think the rope knows.

Voter apathy has increased exponentially with the amount of information available about candidates. News and rumors about candidates pulls voters to and fro and has a tendency to dishearten them.

Few knew, and fewer discussed, the potential that John F. Kennedy was a womanizer. Some pretty compelling evidence of philandering was available. But it was not discussed in public forums.

Nixon changed that. President Richard Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal changed the press's relationship with the presidency and that change has helped disillusion voters. That disillusionment may just be the virus that causes the illness of apathy.

Let's examine recent developments and determine whether they fit this hypothesis.
Barack Obama began to gain momentum among the electorate with a message of hope. Hillary Clinton also had a campaign that inspired many women to show them that the once tenable glass ceiling had been removed and they could be considered as legitimate candidates for the top office in the land.

John McCain came out of a horrible set of defeats and touched a nerve with Republican voters, gaining enough momentum to lock up the GOP candidacy.
Clinton turned against the upstart Obama. Unearthing videos of his pastor saying distasteful things, failing to decry ridiculous claims that Obama is a Muslim in Christian clothing and utilizing a "kitchen sink" method of attacking Obama on every plausible - and not so plausible issue - Clinton has been successful in polarizing the Democratic Party.

James Carville, a Clinton team member for almost two decades, even said it was ironic that Bill Richardson endorsed Obama on the anniversary of Judas selling out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Richardson, governor of New Mexico, was appointed to high-ranking offices during the Bill Clinton presidency. These appointments apparently were expected to result in an automatic endorsement of Mrs. Clinton's campaign.

As soon as McCain won the nomination for the Republicans, stories immediately began to roll out about "potential" irregularities in previous campaigns and dealings with a female lobbyist. No proof exists that McCain had an improper relationship.

However, the press had a field day with this story. In the past, journalists covered up relationships like this even if they were real. Now they are reported on with no direct proof.

So if your candidate is under attack, on the attack, or just plain attackable, it is hard to stay engaged in a campaign. At least some of the apathy comes from the tarnish being revealed on one of the once shiny candidates.

The "new politics" of constant attacks and the willing accomplices in the media who feed the beast in the name of television ratings or newspaper sales are complicit in increasing voter apathy.

We won't ever be able to unring the bell. But maybe we can inject wisdom into the "gotcha" stories. The media needs to add background and perspective to reporting and stop making every story seem like the world may just end since a certain candidate ate a doughnut today.

Voters need to shorten the list of things a candidate can do to lose their vote. There is no such thing as a perfect candidate.

Find the candidate that is the best for you and stick with them until the race is over.